Impact Lab – Page 342 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

Robots

Robot Waiters Have Descended on Silicon Valley

August 7, 2021

Servi at Roger in the new Ameswell Hotel

At a new Mountain View hotel and restaurant that pays homage to NASA, robot servers will deliver your food.

Ever wanted to glimpse into a future reality — ideal or dystopian, depending on your view — powered almost exclusively by machines? A new hotel and restaurant in Silicon Valley (where else?) gives guests the chance to do just that.

The Ameswell Hotel is an independent hotel in Mountain View that debuted in mid-July along with its restaurant, Roger. Both the hotel and restaurant were developed as an homage to the nearby historic NASA Ames Research Center, and it’s living up to its tech-driven billing — it’s the first hotel in the United States to use Servi, a self-driving, indoor robot server, according to the Ameswell. Eater spoke with Jacky Li, who oversees all food and beverage at the hotel, to learn more about the technology and how it’s being used at Roger.

Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

Scientists Discover a Powerful Natural Immune-Regulating Molecule

August 7, 2021

Immunofluorescence of a lymph node shows lymphatic endothelial cells contain the enzyme (labeled in green) that generates 3HKA. Image courtesy of Dr. Laura Santambrogio.

A powerful immune-suppressing molecule produced by the body may hold the key to better treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as for some cancers, according to a study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Perugia.

In the study, published July 21 in Nature Communications, the researchers described the properties of the newly discovered molecule, called 3-HKA. They showed that in immune cells called dendritic cells 3-HKA is produced from the amino acid tryptophan and can protect against inflammation in animal models of the skin disorder psoriasis and a degenerative kidney condition called nephrotoxic nephritis.

“Right now, there is an acute need for new ways to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and we are very excited by the possibilities opened up by the discovery of this potent molecule,” said study co-senior author Dr. Laura Santambrogio, who is professor of radiation oncology and of physiology and biophysics and associate director for precision immunology at the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Driverless vehicles

Plus demos level 4 autonomous truck

August 7, 2021

DRIVERLESS SEMI TRUCK COMPLETES RUN ON CHINA HIGHWAY, WITHOUT A SAFETY DRIVER OR OTHER HUMAN INTERVENTION.

California-based self-driving truck technology provider Plus reached a milestone this week with the successful completion of a driverless Level 4 truck demonstration on a China highway, the company said Thursday.

The demo was run completely autonomously, without a safety driver, teleoperator, or any other form of human intervention, according to company leaders.The demonstration took place on the Wufengshan highway in China’s Yangtze Delta region.

It was conducted with a special permit on the newly built highway, company leaders said, adding that Plus was the first company to be granted such a permit in China. During the demonstration, the driverless truck drove safely and smoothly in typical highway traffic, the company also said.“The driverless demo highlights the ability of our Level 4 autonomous driving technology to enable driverless highway operations in a semi truck.

Electric Automobile, Science & Technology News

Electric Vehicles Could Make Up 50% of Total Car Sales by 2030

August 7, 2021

Major automakers are making changes backed by the Biden administration, pledging that half of all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030 will be either electric, hydrogen-fuel cell, or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. , and Chrysler maker Stellantis NV will be aggressively pushing out cleaner fuel vehicles and stated that their green commitment will be contingent on federal funding for manufacturing and supply-chain research and development, purchase incentives, and a national electric vehicle charging network, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“This industry’s going to spend $330 billion over the next five years on electrification alone,” John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the lobbying group for auto makers and suppliers, said at a conference. “Even in Washington, D.C., that is real money.”

The auto company executives and the United Auto Workers attended a White House event Thursday afternoon where the Biden administration announced more stringent fuel-efficiency standards for the industry.

3D Printer

Terran Mars Habitat Being 3D Printed by ICON for NASA

August 7, 2021

By Sarah Saunders

Texas-based additive construction company ICON just announced that it’s been charged with creating a 3D printed habitat, called the Mars Dune Alpha, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, also in Texas. The company received a subcontract through Jacobs supporting the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) for its Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) sequence, and will use its next-gen Vulcan concrete 3D printing system to fabricate a 1,700 square-foot structure that will simulate a realistic Martian habitat that can support long-term exploration science missions in outer space.

The structure is being designed by architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, which is based in Copenhagen, Barcelona, New York, and London.

“Together with NASA and ICON, we are investigating what humanity’s home on another planet will entail from the human experience. The data gained from this habitat research will directly inform NASA’s standards for long-duration exploration missions, and as such will potentially lay the foundation for a new Martian vernacular. Mars Dune Alpha will take us one step closer to becoming a multiplanetary species,” said Bjarke Ingels, the Founder and Creative Director of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.

AI, Science & Technology News

CUPID’S ALGORITHM: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS BEING USED FOR MATCHMAKING

August 5, 2021

Artificial intelligence has found yet another valuable use case, finding dates!

by Apoorva Komarraju

Artificial Intelligence is an astounding technology that is transforming many aspects of our lives, even dating! Over the last decade, online dating has become an everyday reality. Human lives are only becoming hectic and people are seeking online options to find companionship. Hence, dating app development has picked up the pace. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are making the process of finding the right match easier. Users often complain about the mismatch of profiles, but with these technologies, the searching process becomes more personalized and accurate.

Cancer, Science & Technology News

Radio-wave Therapy Is Safe for Liver Cancer Patients and Shows Improvement in Overall Survival

August 5, 2021

Newswise — Researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine have shown that a targeted therapy using non-thermal radio waves is safe to use in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer. The therapy also showed a benefit in overall survival.

The study findings appear online in 4Open, a journal published by EDP Sciences.

“HCC accounts for nearly 90% of all liver cancers, and current survival rates are between six and 20 months,” said Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., chair of cancer biology and director of Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Currently, there are limited treatment options for patients with this advanced liver cancer.”

For the study researchers used a device called TheraBionic P1, invented by Pasche and Alexandre Barbault of TheraBionic GmbH in Ettlingen, Germany, that works by delivering cancer-specific, amplitude-modulated radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (AM RF EMF) programmed specifically for HCC.

AI, Science & Technology News

Officials Approve World’s First Patent to Credit an AI as Inventor

August 5, 2021

The patent was granted, oddly enough, for the creation of a fractal-based food and beverage container that might improve on currently available designs like the one pictured.

Intellectual property (IP) officials in South Africa have made history in a landmark decision to award a patent that names an artificial intelligence (AI) as the inventor.

The patent—which was filed by an international team of lawyers and researchers led by the University of Surrey’s, Professor of Law and Health Sciences, Ryan Abbott —is for a food container based on fractal geometry. This container was designed and created by an AI called DABUS (“device for the autonomous bootstrapping of unified sentience”).

Historically, an “inventor” of a patent had to be a human being, although the ownership of that patent is commonly given to the company that employs the inventor. While patent law in many jurisdictions is very specific in how it defines an inventor, the DABUS team is arguing that the status quo is not fit for purpose in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

brain-computer interfaces, Science & Technology News

Elon Musk’s Neuralink wants to embed microchips in people’s skulls and get robots to perform brain surgery

August 4, 2021

By Isobel Asher Hamilton

Neuralink is one of Elon Musk’s strange and futuristic portfolio of companies.
Neuralink developing neural interface technology — a.k.a. putting microchips into people’s brains.
The technology could help study and treat neurological disorders.

Elon Musk is known for his high-profile companies like Tesla and SpaceX, but the billionaire also has a handful of unusual ventures. One them, he says, he started to one day achieve “symbiosis” between the human brain and artificial intelligence.

Neuralink is Musk’s neural interface technology company. The company is building a device that could be embedded in a person’s brain, where it could both record brain activity and potentially stimulate it. Musk has compared the technology to a “FitBit in your skull.”

While Musk likes to talk up his futuristic vision for the technology, the tech has plenty of near-term potential medical applications.

Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News

This Solar-Powered Electric Ferry Is the First Maritime Robotaxi in Europe

August 4, 2021

By Otilia Drăgan

Robotaxis are not news anymore, with several self-driving car services all over the world. But transferring this concept to water-based transportation is something to talk about. This pioneering ferry isn’t just an autonomous vessel for transportation, but it’s also solar-powered and available for ridesharing.

Startups are really taking a leading role in this new automotive wave based on electrically-powered, autonomous vehicles. Buffalo Automation might not sound familiar, but this American company has already achieved a lot since 2015, when it was founded. Specializing in AI solution for autonomous transport and navigation, it has developed a predictive marine navigation system, AutoMate, which is adapted for large commercial ships.

In 2020, Buffalo Automation launched a new product line based on the Greycraft autonomous navigation technology. Greycraft made its debut in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it’s the concept behind this first European commercial robotaxi service.

Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

AngelMed announces first commercial implantation of real-time heart attack warning system

August 4, 2021

Angel Medical Systems, Inc., (dba AngelMed) a proactive diagnostics company focused on the advancement of long-term management of high-risk coronary disease, announced today the first commercial implantation and U.S. launch of its flagship product, The Guardian™ device.

The procedure marks The Guardian’s first use following its recent FDA approval. Indicated for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events, including silent heart attacks, The Guardian System is the first implantable cardiac detection monitor and patient-warning system.

The outpatient procedure was successfully performed by cardiac electrophysiologist and cardiologist Dr. Andrew J. Kaplan of Cardiovascular Associates of Mesa in Mesa, Arizona.

Dr. Kaplan is a pioneer of new cardiac technologies and has played a significant role in The Guardian’s commercialization. He is a clinical trial investigator and serves on AngelMed’s medical advisory board.

“The first commercial implant of The Guardian marks a pivotal advancement in cardiac care. The device detects impending ACS events, including silent heart attacks, and leads to earlier patient treatment,” said Dr. Andrew Kaplan. “Given the device’s clinical success, the cardiovascular community can feel confident in this new, first-in-kind technology. The Guardian fills a true unmet need in high-risk ACS patients.”

Alternative Transportation, Science & Technology News

FLEETS OF MICROCARS COULD BECOME ANOTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPTION

August 3, 2021

The vehicles are self-charging and powered by solar energy

Spotted: Navigating tightly packed city streets just got a lot easier with the introduction of the Squad car. Created by The Netherlands-based Squad Mobility sustainable transport company, the Squad car is several steps up in comfort from scooters. Squad cars have two or four seats, with storage space in the back of the vehicle. Completely free to use, they are self-charging, so door-to-door use is a reality. There is no need to park it anywhere in particular, or find a renewable energy charging station.

Doors and windows are removable during the summer months, and with seatbelts and a full roll bar cage structure, the cars are designed for safety. They travel at a maximum speed of 45 kilometres an hour and include dashboard smartphone integration for handsfree navigation and communication.